Oz Fest

Denim & Thread Jeans

You don??™t come from a land down under (though your ratty Uggs have made some wonder).

Can??™t you hear, can??™t you hear the thunder?

Sydney-based Denim & Thread jeans speak-a your language. And the refreshing all-denim line just made its way to Boston.

The dungarees are no fuss (without crazy branding or distressing) yet super stylized and current. Shimmy into the high-waisted skinny pair or try the slim number with ankle zippers. There??™s a straight-leg option (just add flats and a tank), as well as the requisite baggy boyfriend jean.

Made from 100 percent Japanese and European cotton (organic whenever possible), each pair is hand-sanded to the desired finish.

Which must put a lot of men at work.Available at Stel??™s, 334 Newbury Street (617-262-3348 or stelsinc.com). To see styles, go to denimandthread.com.

I was just having lunch with a friend the other day, when the subject of foot fetish came up. She told me a former male boss of hers was always checking out the ladies’ feet at work, noticing the nail polish and type of shoes they wore. As I pushed aside the “eww” factor, I thought, maybe there’s something to be learned about this discussion.

Shouldn’t your feet look its best when stepping out in your hottest pair of jeans, accessorized by your favorite new summery sandals? If your feet are not show-off ready (think farmer’s tans, callouses, etc.), then, perhaps, T!NTALIZE?„? Foot Concealer can do the trick. It’s makeup for your feet, but I like to think of it as an instant fake bake that washes out.

Earlier this week, the TalkingShopping team introduced you to an interesting new beauty buy: foot concealer. Such a product drew attention from beauty editors and bloggers alike for its attack on foot imperfections, and naturally, we wanted to find the creative minds behind such an innovative idea (c’mon, we know you’re just dying to know what the women are like who created such a quirky thing)! TS tracked down celebrity makeup artists Allyson Carey and investment banker Sidney Dillard, founders of T!NTALIZE?„? foot concealer to see just where this seemingly wacky concept came from and what they’re all about!

Still going strong is the trend of 80’s inspired fashion. This is a true testament to the power of an era that was heavily influenced by music of various genres.

How could you deny that acid wash wasn’t spear headed by such hair raising bands, and hair was certainly raised in all directions in the 80’s, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, and Van Halen. But let us not forget the English invasion that set all women’s hearts ablaze, especially mine, with music, fashion and intoxicatingly good looks such as Duran Duran, Wham, Spandau Ballet and Morrisey.

Sheena Easton and Pat Benatar can now pull out a pair of their old acid washed jeans and relive their hey days with a smile and some extra strong hair product. Wonder if Ton Sur Ton or Naf Naf can make a comeback? I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.

I’m sure Frankie Goes to Hollywood would say, “Welcome to the Pleasure Dome”, it’s all about feeling good and looking good.

Season 8 American Idol Finalist, Adam Lambert, performed his last song of the night, ???No Boundaries,??? wearing ROCK & REPUBLIC Slim Fuck jeans in Liberation. Source: Rock & Republic.

I have to admit that I only watched part of the Adam Lambert performance during the American Idol Season 8 finale show. It was my first time hearing his voice, and boy can that boy belt it out! I don’t know who I should vote for, if I were to choose, since I haven’t been watching this season’s show. I can’t even begin to predict who would win, since it’s usually a tough call at the end. Whatever the case may be, American Idol is sure scoring some great designer wardrobe for their contestants as the show has progressed! Check out these Rock & Republic jeans, featured on Adam Lambert and Carrie Underwood (Season 4) during the finale.

SAN FRANCISCO ??” Shoring up sliding North American sales, driving e-commerce and expanding in international markets are key goals for Gap Inc. in the next year, executives said Tuesday at the company??™s annual meeting.

The company needs ???to make North America a stronger business model,??? said Glenn Murphy, chairman and chief executive officer.

???We have to get serious about connecting with customers and gaining back market share,??? Murphy said, addressing Gap??™s troubled U.S. and Canadian sales and underscoring the need to lure North American customers back into its stores.

Gap will push its online retail, now 25 percent of the business, and will introduce e-commerce platforms for Canada and the U.K. by 2010, followed by Japan in 2011.

The largest U.S. apparel specialty retail chain also will open stores in six new countries this year ??” Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, Egypt and Jordan. Murphy said he anticipates additional opportunities overseas because the company??™s international business is strong.

???We are looking at China??¦we believe it??™s a timely market, a good opportunity for us,??? Murphy said.

Gap??™s North American business, which accounted for about 88 percent of total revenues in 2008, has been struggling for years, and the company hasn??™t reported a quarterly sales increase since its overall revenues crept up 0.1 percent to $3.85 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2007.

Sales at the chain have continued to tumble this year. First-quarter sales dropped 7 percent to $3.13 billion and were down 8 percent on a comparable-store basis as comps fell 12 percent at Gap North America, 13 percent at Banana Republic North America, 3 percent at Old Navy North America and 4 percent at international. Comparable-store sales in April slid 4 percent, as net sales fell 5 percent to $1.05 billion. Comps were down 8 percent in March as net sales declined 6 percent to $1.29 billion.

???We have to get those customers back,??? Murphy said. ???I don??™t care if you??™re a value player or a luxury player, your message has to be a call to customers.???

Among ways to reinvigorate sales, Gap is launching new store concepts, including those currently open for Old Navy, others coming this fall for Banana Republic and an outlet store concept that will debut in the near future.

???Our real estate is a little stale; it has not been reinvested in a way that I??™m comfortable with or the [company directors] are comfortable with,??? Murphy said.

Another big part of Gap??™s effort to reinvigorate North American business is Athleta, a Petaluma, Calif.-based online and catalogue retailer specializing in sports and activewear acquired by Gap in September for $150 million ??” the company??™s first acquisition in 25 years. Athleta was added to Gap??™s online store offerings last month.

Gap is expected to report quarterly earnings after the markets close on Thursday.

Sad to hear it, but that quaint little shop in Connecticut is closing its doors. Hopefully, many of you will be able to take advantage of its going-out-of-business sale. That, hopefully means that their wonderfully organic denim collection for kids will also be on sale.

THE DEETS(From LOVE’s Newsletter):
We are writing to thank you. . . . and share our decision to close LOVE.

As you know we have been holding sales over the past two weeks. What you don’t know is we have been negotiating with our landlord, meeting with accountants, talking to other shopkeepers and designers, reading WWD and doing lots of thinking in the hopes of finding a way to survive in this economy. Other than the supportive sale shopping we have had, all signs point us to closing LOVE a year earlier than we had planned. We do not make this decision lightly and up until now did not consider closing an option. But the time for our shop is past… and we want you to know how much we have enjoyed sharing with you our idea of a magical childhood.

THE DETAILS:

LOVE will remain open until May 30th.

Effective immediately all sales are final. No returns, no exchanges. Everything is 60% off including DucDuc floor models. We also are selling store fixtures (like lighting), prices will be marked.

We will be putting out Summer and Fall 08 merchandise Monday May 18th.

Get ready for the summer with a great pair of crisp white jeans to anchor any flawless look from day to evening. Add a splash of color, a graphic pattern, white on white, black and white, the possibilities are endless!

J Brand Pencil Leg Jeans

Was $170Now $119

True Religion Julie Denim Skinny Jeans

Was $210Now $147

Alexander Wang Zip Embellished Skinny Jeans

Was $375Now $262.50

MIH Paris Cropped Jeans

Was $225Now $135

Notify Orthilia High Waisted Jeans

Was $250Now $175

Add a pair of shoes in a neutral tone (the trend, nudes, so versatile) that goes with EVERYTHING and a statement piece to add a little punch to your outfit.